Carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus and method of controlling operation of carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus

Abstract

A carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus includes an absorption tower configured to cause an absorbing liquid to absorb a carbon dioxide gas contained in a process gas and a regeneration tower configured to cause the absorbing liquid from the absorption tower to release the carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus further includes an inlet concentration meter configured to measure concentration of an acid component in the process gas supplied to the absorption tower and an outlet concentration meter configured to measure concentration of the acid component in the process gas discharged from the absorption tower. Also included in the carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus are a supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a supplementary absorbing liquid to the main unit and a controller configured to control an amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied to the main unit by the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism based on the concentrations of the acid component measured at the inlet concentration meter and the outlet concentration meter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus comprising:
 a main unit including
 an absorption tower configured to cause an absorbing liquid to absorb a carbon dioxide gas contained in a process gas; and 
 a regeneration tower configured to cause the absorbing liquid from the absorption tower to release the carbon dioxide gas; 
 
 an inlet concentration meter configured to measure a concentration of an acid component in the process gas supplied to the absorption tower; 
 an outlet concentration meter configured to measure a concentration of the acid component in a decarbonated gas discharged from the absorption tower; 
 a supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism including a supply line configured to supply a supplementary absorbing liquid to the main unit; and 
 a controller configured to control an amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied to the main unit from the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism based on the concentration of the acid component measured at the inlet concentration meter and the outlet concentration meter, wherein 
 the main unit includes a rich liquid line supplying the absorbing liquid from the absorption tower to the regeneration tower and a lean liquid line supplying the absorbing liquid from the regeneration tower to the absorption tower, 
 the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism includes a supply tank configured to store the supplementary absorbing liquid, the supply tank being separate from the regeneration tower, and 
 the supply line is separate from the lean liquid line. 
 
     
     
       2. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising;
 an inlet flow amount meter configured to measure a flow amount of the process gas supplied to the absorption tower; 
 an outlet flow amount meter configured to measure a flow amount of the decarbonated gas discharged from the absorption tower, and 
 
 wherein the controller controls the amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied to the main unit from the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism based on the concentration of the acid component measured at the inlet concentration meter and the outlet concentration meter, the flow amount of the process gas measured at the inlet flow amount meter, and the flow amount of the decarbonated gas measured at the outlet flow amount meter. 
 
     
     
       3. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism includes 
 a supply bulb configured to control the amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied to the main unit, and 
 wherein the controller controls the amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied to the main unit by operating the supply bulb. 
 
     
     
       4. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism supplies the supplementary absorbing liquid to the absorption tower. 
 
     
     
       5. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising; 
 a heat exchanger provided between the absorption tower and the regeneration tower, and the heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange between the absorbing liquid supplied to the absorption tower from the regeneration tower and the absorbing liquid supplied to the regeneration tower from the absorption tower, 
 wherein the rich liquid line includes an absorbing liquid line configured to supply the absorbing liquid to the heat exchanger from the absorption tower, and 
 wherein the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism supplies the supplementary absorbing liquid to at least one of the absorption tower and the absorbing liquid line. 
 
     
     
       6. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising: 
 an absorbing liquid discharging mechanism including a discharge line configured to discharge the absorbing liquid from the main unit, and 
 wherein the controller controls an amount of the absorbing liquid discharged by the absorbing liquid discharging mechanism based on the amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied by the supplementary absorbing liquid supply mechanism. 
 
     
     
       7. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the absorbing liquid discharging mechanism includes a discharge bulb, and 
 wherein the controller controls the amount of the absorbing liquid discharged from the main unit by operating the discharge bulb. 
 
     
     
       8. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the main unit further includes: 
 a heat exchanger provided between the absorption tower and the regeneration tower, and the heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange between the absorbing liquid supplied to the absorption tower from the regeneration tower and the absorbing liquid supplied to the regeneration tower from the absorption tower, 
 wherein the rich liquid line includes an absorbing liquid line configured to supply the absorbing liquid to the heat exchanger from the absorption tower, and 
 wherein the absorbing liquid discharging mechanism discharges the absorbing liquid from at least one of the absorption tower and the absorbing liquid line. 
 
     
     
       9. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 further comprising: 
 an absorbing liquid pump provided at the absorbing liquid line, and 
 wherein the absorbing liquid discharging mechanism discharges the absorbing liquid from a portion between the absorbing liquid pump and the heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       10. The carbon dioxide separation and capture apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller controls the amount of the supplementary absorbing liquid supplied to the main unit such that a concentration of the acid component in the absorbing liquid is lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold.